Daniel’s Heart

⁸ But Daniel set in his heart that he would not ^(A)defile himself with the ^(B)king’s choice food or with the ^(C)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. ⁹ Now God granted Daniel ^(D)lovingkindness and compassion before the commander of the officials, ¹⁰ and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would ^[a]make me forfeit my head to the king.” ¹¹ But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be ^(E)given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then let our appearance be ^[b]observed before you and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

¹⁴ So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days it was seen that their appearance was ^(F)better and that ^[c]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. ¹⁶ So the overseer continued to ^[d]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept ^(G)giving them vegetables.